


Flicker

by allwaswell16



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Art, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Shopping, Ficlet, First Kiss, Hogsmeade, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Kissing, M/M, Mistletoe, Pining, Three Broomsticks, art by FallingLikeThis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:47:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21748525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allwaswell16/pseuds/allwaswell16
Summary: While last-minute Christmas shopping in a blizzard, Harry and Ron take shelter in The Three Broomsticks. Harry could stay by Ron's side, but Draco Malfoy is sitting alone. And well, it's Christmas.An eighth year ficlet
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 26
Kudos: 219





	Flicker

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phdmama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phdmama/gifts).



> Happy birthday, phdmama! I know I told you I wouldn't be able to give you something this year, but somehow the inspiration finally arrived! I hope you enjoy this little ficlet and have the most wonderful birthday!
> 
> Thank you to Tabby / FallingLikeThis for the inspiration and the beautiful art you created for this ficlet! We managed to pull it off just in time! Thank you also for the quick beta!

Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop is mercifully open on Christmas Eve.

Harry and Ron tromp through the doors with wind and snow blowing a swirl of white around them just before they step inside and shut out the late afternoon snow. Harry pulls his glasses off to wipe the snow from them as Ron heads straight for a display of eagle feather quills.

“What do you think, Harry?”

Harry places his glasses back on in time to see the quill Ron’s thrusting in his face before it pokes him in the eye. “Yeah, I think she’ll like it. I mean, I think she’ll like the ten other gifts you’ve bought her, but I’m sure she’ll like this as well.”

A look of concern crosses Ron’s face. “Am I overdoing it? This boyfriend thing?”

“Nah.” Harry cuffs him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you buy it, and we’ll go to The Three Broomsticks before we head back?”

Ron dutifully brings his eleventh gift for Hermione to the cash register to pay as Harry just grins. His friends are quite soppy about each other these days, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

It definitely wasn’t his choice to be out in this kind of weather on Christmas Eve, but seeing as how Ron chose to stay with him at Hogwarts over the holidays, he certainly wasn’t going to put up any kind of fuss about it. 

The war has done its damage as wars do, deep seated damage to the friends and families Harry loves. And half a year back at Hogwarts hasn’t been enough time to heal the wounds. He suspects Ron isn’t ready for things to return to _normal_ , whatever normal is. And he certainly isn’t ready either. Whatever the reason, he’s glad to be with him, even if Ron insists on finding one last gift for his girlfriend on Christmas Eve in the middle of a snow storm.

Ron tucks his purchase away before they head back out into the whirl of snow and wind. It bites at their exposed faces, and the warming spell Harry tries to cast is swept away in the howling wind. Instead, he tucks his wand away and walks faster. 

The door to The Three Broomsticks bursts open as they push it at the same time in their haste to get inside out of the terrible weather, causing everyone inside to glance up for a moment of unnatural quiet before returning to their conversations.

Harry slides his hat and gloves off, sending a nod to the people sending greetings his way. There are two stools at the bar open, and Ron heads for them. The place is busier than he would have thought on Christmas Eve especially in a blizzard, but then, the gathering of people for the simple sake of company and a drink gives the place a festive air. 

Ron orders for them as Harry glances around the pub, his gaze finally landing on a lone figure in a booth near the window. Malfoy. 

His white blonde hair no longer lays perfectly arranged and instead looks a bit rumpled as if he’d rolled out of bed this way this morning and never bothered to do anything with it. There’s an empty mug in his hand as he stares unseeing out the window of the pub. Harry stares at the long fingers wrapped around the mug and swallows down the lump in his throat. 

He nearly falls off his stool when Ron nudges him back to reality. There are two mugs of steaming hot butterbeer in front of him as Ron takes a swig of his own. 

“Why’d you buy me two?”

Ron shrugs, a small smile on his face. “Thought maybe you’d want to bring one over to someone, that’s all. Cheers.” Ron takes another swig before turning to speak to Dean Thomas sitting on his other side. Harry hadn’t even noticed him there. 

His heart pounds a little out of sync as he picks up both mugs and begins walking towards the booth near the front of the pub. He sits down uninvited, sliding one of the mugs in Malfoy’s general direction.

Malfoy’s eyes widen, lovely and grey in the dim light. It’s then that Malfoy seems to notice he’s been clutching an empty mug, and his face flushes, staining pink across his cheeks. Harry’s never seen anything as captivating in his life. It’s always been this way, he tells himself, nothing new. Draco Malfoy’s always had his attention.

“Cheers,” Draco says, his voice low and a bit hoarse as though from disuse before he takes a small sip.

“Happy Christmas, Draco.”

Draco just stares, his mouth open a bit as he looks at Harry as if trying to work out a particularly difficult potion.

“Happy Christmas, Harry.”

A flutter deep in his chest at the sound of his name on Draco’s lips awakens something in him that he hasn’t allowed himself to examine too closely. He and Draco have spoken since the war, of course, the trials throwing them together on a regular basis. And he knows Draco’s probably spending the holidays at Hogwarts to avoid what’s become of his splintered family. 

But what’s fluttering in his heart isn’t pity.

If the war’s taught him anything, it’s how fleeting happiness can be. Best to catch it and hold it close whilst you can. 

Harry stands up. 

Draco’s eyes fall to the table as though to hide his reaction to Harry’s departure, but Harry can see the disappointment in the set of his shoulders. Draco’s eyes shoot back to his as Harry slides into the bench next to him.

“What are you doing, Potter?”

“You’re sitting under the mistletoe, Draco.”

“What? I’m n--” 

They both glance up at the small bunch of leaves dangling above Draco’s head. It hadn’t been there a minute before, but it’s there now. He’ll have to thank Ron later for the push. 

“Did you--”

“No,” Harry answers before Draco can finish his question. “But I would have if I thought you’d let me kiss you.”

“Oh.” Draco’s tongue swipes across his lips as he turns to Harry. “Well, seeing as how someone’s gone to so much trouble--”

Before Harry can lean in or do anything at all, Draco’s soft lips have found his own. His hands shoot out to hold Draco close, and he’s never been so glad for his quick instincts so as to not waste a moment before kissing him back.

The spark that’s always existed between them has finally flared to life, not in blazing destruction but rather a warm flicker that will grow steadily with time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked this ficlet, please leave kudos and comments! And if you're on tumblr, you can reblog the art and fic post for this fic [here](https://allwaswell16.tumblr.com/post/189597665196/flicker-a-drarry-ficlet-by-allwaswell16-words)! 
> 
> Based on this prompt: 
> 
> While last-minute Christmas shopping, a light snow turns into an absolute blizzard and everyone gets stuck inside. Harry Potter is there with his friends. He could easily ride out the storm with them, but Draco Malfoy is sitting at the window all alone, staring forlornly at the world outside. And after all, it is Christmas.


End file.
